No compensation was received for this post. I attended the luncheon as a guest of Toyota.
What lengths would you go to for change? That is the question I have been asking myself since I attended the Women in the World luncheon in Los Angeles. While I go about my day-to-day activities, there are women right now enduring imprisonment, loss of employment, physical assault, and public humiliation to uphold their right to drive, obtain an education, work, and in some instances live…solely based on their gender. In America, we are often sheltered from the injustices that people face daily in other parts of the world. In one afternoon, I saw a snapshot of what women across the globe are doing to fight for rights we take for granted every single day.
This year marks the 5th annual Women in the World Summit, which brings together world leaders, artists, and activists to share stories of “courageous, intelligent women who are battling the status quo in their countries…and shattering glass ceilings in every sector.” In anticipation of the summit, which will be held in New York April 3-5, 2014, the LA chapter hosted a luncheon to showcase some of the incredible work these women are doing to realize change. As I listened to 5 women from across the globe talk about the work they are doing to ensure that human rights are upheld, I was humbled and challenged to look outside of the bubble I often find myself living in to see the bigger picture of a world that still faces inequality.
In Saudi Arabia, women are prohibited from driving. I can’t even begin to comprehend how different my life would be if I was not able to drive. Even more concerning are those instances when my child is sick mid-day or having a vaccine reaction at 2 am while my husband is working out of town. When Manal al Sharif was nearly kidnapped while trying to find a taxi, she decided to film herself driving in protest, which resulted in a 9-day jail stay. The video, which went viral on YouTube, along with Sharif’s persistence to affect change, has resulted in a shift. More women are driving in Saudi Arabia because of Sharif’s refusal to stay silent. “If we keep quiet, nothing will change” Manal Al-Sharif.
“I choose not to speak, I choose to plan.” Those are the words of Khalida Brohi, who at the age of 16, lost a friend, the victim of an honor killing. In patriarchal societies such as Pakistan, women are bound by customs and traditions, and doing something “different” is perceived as dangerous. “When a girl goes to school, she becomes independent. Our response to that behavior is a bullet.” It was out of this mentality and a compelling need for change that the Sughar Empowerment Society was born. Sughar, which means skilled and confident woman, is a non-profit social enterprise in Pakistan committed to empowering tribal and rural women with leadership opportunities and ending honor killings. Women learn everything from business skills to embroidery, and the goal of this enterprise is to fight the mentality that threatens a woman’s basic rights. Brohi recalls that it was her father who educated and empowered her to do the work she is doing to affect change for women in Pakistan. When faced with unspeakable injustice, it was her father’s words that stuck with her and enabled her to endure the injustice facing women in her country….”don’t cry…strategize.”
During the luncheon, Tricia Compas-Markman, founder and CEO of DayOne Response, was named Toyota’s 3rd Mother of Invention. When I first learned about Toyota’s commitment to supporting women, I was moved particularly because my husband and I are long-standing advocates of the brand. Each year, Toyota recognizes courageous, innovative leaders who are making a difference on a community and a global level. According to Toyota, a Mother of Invention is a woman who sees a social problem and uses her ingenuity and dynamism to fix it. For Tricia, that need was clean water in the midst of a disaster…it is the one essential resource people need to survive. As an engineer and a designer, Tricia developed the DayOne Response Waterbag, a portable pouch that collects, treats, transfers, and stores water. Her work has been recognized by government agencies, disaster relief non-profits, the military and the Clinton Foundation. Even as she talked about her work, which is a life-changer for disaster victims, particularly in 3rd world countries, her humility prevailed, “We are all global citizens and we have a responsibility to help each other.”
For more information about Women in the World or the Toyota Mothers of Invention initiative, visit their respective websites. You can watch the entire video of these women sharing their stories below:
Images: Toyota/Women in the World
- Discover Luxury at Sonesta Irvine: Your Ideal Staycation - August 8, 2024
- CHOC Walk Returns to the Disneyland Resort – Special Events and Ways to Support - June 28, 2023
- Beastly Ball Returns to the Los Angeles Zoo - May 8, 2023
All of the points these woman offer really can go into every day life here too: even in the smaller forms of issues for woman and female children. I tell my daughter a lot of what this story discusses as it pertains to her having to endure emotional abuse because no matter how much I’ve fought, I haven’t been able to limit contact with the person who emotionally abuses her. I love reading stories like this, all hail women all over the world! Amazing women!